Welfare Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Welfare Law - Essay Example In order to manage radical reform we should have the understanding of how sickness and disability might affect our ability to work. In affect, a length of time causing delays in the work cycle as a result. This pause must be considered as a delay in fulfilling work obligations, not a cessation of it. Each of us in one way or another would have benefits for sickness and disability, but we first must understand the Pension Act of 2004 to understand what benefits we have. The Pension Act of 2004 assists employers and employees in protecting members' benefits, while the Financial Assistance Scheme provides help to those who might have lost out before the Pension Protection Fund was established. The Pension Protection Fund goes hand in hand with measures in the Act that primarily help employers to provide pensions. This change would, in effect, compliment the radical tax simplification in this year's Finance Act, which from April 2006 will replace today's eight separate tax regimes with one single regime. The third key dimension of the Act would include a set of measures that will empower people to plan, work and save for their retirement. Employers have a significant role to play in the pensions partnership. This role is one of providing access, information and contributions to pensions for their employees. The workplace would be an effective environment through which people have the ability to save. Administration is more efficient and there would in fact be tax advantages for the employer and the employee. The existence of a good pension provision helps staff recruitment, retention and motivation. Another contributor to the pensions partnership is the Pensions Commission. It in effect would set up the publication of the Green Paper to monitor and independently review the private pensions and long-term savings systems. As a result of ensuing consultation, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions published 'Working and Saving for Retirement: Action on Occupational Pensions' [Cm 5835]. This publication focused increasinly on needs such as member protection which rank alongside other similarly significant themes. It presaged primary legislation across the areas consulted. Areas consulted would have included a Pension Protection Fund to compensate members of defined benefit and hybrid schemes whose employers become insolvent leaving the pensions scheme unable to meet its liabilities. The European Directive on the Activities and Supervision of Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision was adopted in September 2003 for implementation by September 2005. The Government wishes for people to make informed choices about how and when to save, and how long to work, so they receive the income they expect in retirement. The Government hopes to empower older people to improve their retirement prospects by keeping them active for longer periods of time. The current state pension age is 65. The age is set here so that no-one is forced to work beyond that unless they want too. But, by tackling age discrimination and freeing people to work part-time while drawing a pension, it hopes to make working longer more attractive. There are plans to: provide a better option for people who choose to draw their State Pension beyond their State Pension age - including a new option to take a lump sum and use it in any manner. ensure that compulsory retirement ages unlawful, unless employers can show that they are objectively justified. allow people to continue working for the same employers while drawing

Human motivation Essay Example for Free

Human motivation Essay

Literature During the Naturalistic Period :: Literature Essays Litarary Analysis

Literature During the Naturalistic Period What is the one struggle that all human beings have in common? It is life itself. As important as humans think they are, in the scheme of reality, the human race is not that significant. During the late eighteenth century and the earlier nineteenth century, authors such as Émile Zola, Jack London, and Stephen Crane and poets such as Robert Frost and Wallace Stevens were struggling with leaving behind traditional attitudes and finding a new philosophy of life. These writers, along with many others, are known for writing during the Naturalistic time period. Literature of Naturalism, just as all literature does, reflects the attitudes and events happening during this time. The world was changing in many more ways than ever before. Traditional unquestioned beliefs had fallen by the wayside because of many factors but especially with the introduction of Darwin's book, On the Origin of Species. Darwin's view that humans evolved and were not created by some Supreme Being startled societ y, especially the religious community. For the first time, society began to question the mainstay of their religious beliefs. In the economic realm, Karl Marx was expounding his view of socialism. Economic factors had a profound effect on the people of this time as well. The industrialization and the urbanization that were occurring were forcing changes on every front of life. Along with the scientific and social advancements of the world at this time, psychology was breaking ground to become an important science of its own. Freud with his view of why people act the way they do and Jung with his thoughts on the collective unconscious were offering new thought and insight about human behavior. However, with the removing of the old beliefs that gave humans a sense of direction and order in their lives, the search, which often included the loss of oneself, needed to be embarked upon so that people of this era could find some sort of direction in the new world of knowledge and confusion. Never before or since this time has there been such a wandering in the desert of uncertainty. Therefore, it is quite natural that the authors of this period reflect all of the turmoil created by the amount of knowledge that was being shared and that was trying to be comprehended. Authors of this time were at the forefront of this investigation. Naturalistic writers tend to write in a somewhat scientific method because their characters are placed in a situation where the forces of nature or the environment are imposed upon them.

Alienation & People

Realist. A word, which would greatly, depicts the ascendancy of Herman Melville’s work – Bartleby, the Scrivener. An oeuvre that depicts and denounces the harsh conditions of workers, particularly of the copyists of laws during his time. As such, the opus serves as an eye-opener for the whole humanity. It embarks upon the exploitation and dehumanization of an individual in a capitalist society wherein accumulation of capital is the primary if not the only goal of the bourgeoisie. As such, this results to the seemingly obliviousness of the bourgeoisie to the real conditions and needs of his employees.This can be evidently seen in the story as the narrator gives only about four cents a folio, that is four cents for one hundred words of every copied document. One may argue that such amount has a great value during that period. Indeed it may be the case. However, if one would analyze the value of the wage given compared to the laborious task of a scrivener, it can be deduce d that the given wage evidently does not equally compensate for the arduous job of a scrivener. The clear manifestation of such is the fact that employees in the story cannot provide for themselves an adequate supply of their basic necessities.In the epoch of industrialization and technological advancements, it is quite paradoxical to see the employees subsisting in an adverse condition. Such order is the contradiction in a capitalist society. The story illustrates how at first an individual would succumb to a system which pledges social and economic change from its success in overthrowing the old form of society, the feudal system. As such he takes a particular wok under a new economic system, the proletariat in his desire to make himself a living and essentially, to make his life better. However, as his work continuous, he realizes that he is being exploited and alienated.First, he is alienated to his products; in this particular case the copies of law that Bartleby produces. As h e continuously produces products for his employer, his labor is being continuously objectified. If such is the case, then the number of things, which he produces in the external world yet does not belong to him continuously increases as he produces more. Hence, he is alienated in his products in two ways: first, by continuously producing products which does not belong to him; secondly, by increasing number of products he produces which he cannot acquire for he does not have the purchasing power to do so.Second, he is estranged from his labor. It is because his labor does not belong to him but to his employer. He works accordingly not from his own willingness to work rather to what his employer wanted him to do. His employer imposes on him what kind of work he should do. And this phenomenon is what Marx called as forced labor. As a result, his labor becomes mechanical and void of progress. Third, he is estranged from his species being. Human beings have the right to self-determinatio n. This feature separates him from other species and can only be carried out thru his life activity.However, his activity under the capitalist economy, his being tied in his work forbids him to exercise his life activity – his self-determination. Fourth, he is alienated to his self. This is due to the alienation he experienced from his product and labor wherein he is not anymore treated as a rational being or even a human being in his Isness rather a commodity needed by the capitalists to procure monopoly of capital. These alienations were clearly depicted in Bartleby, the Scrivener and were eventually realized by Bartleby.He realized that he is a victim of such exploitations. He struggles to reject the prevailing economic system together with its authority structure and exploitative practices. Its manifestations though not much articulated is the refusal of Bartleby to first do trivial tasks and eventually, to stop the demeaning work. Essentially, he stop to become a scriven er. Bartleby represents an â€Å"enlightened man† of his time even if he does not have the ideological grounding Marx and Hegel possessed during the emergence of the socialist ideology.However, such realizations places him in history. Undeniably, in every society where there is a class, there is a class struggle. As such, a bourgeoisie would do anything to neutralize if not to totally obliterate the emergence of an ideology, which challenges the prevailing one. As such, the narrator is the epitome of the bourgeoisie. This was shown by the pseudo-kindness he is offering to Bartleby, seemingly oblivious of the exploitation and alienation his class is causing to the majority.It is because if he indeed wanted to help Bartleby, he would do measures to step by step end such exploitation. Bartleby realizes how oppressed he is in a capitalist society yet he has not yet ponder upon what would topple down this kind of oppressive economic system as well as the manner on how the society can be changed. This can be attributed to his lack of education and knowledge of the basic principles of socialism, which is emerging during his time.Unfortunately, he passed away before he can rationalize on how the existing society can be revolutionized Evidently, Melville is depicting the realities of his society during his time – the struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. As such, the struggle between the prevailing yet oppressive ideology during that epoche– capitalism and the ideology which challenges capitalism and aspires to eliminate the oppression within the society – communism. Source: Bartleby, the Scrivener. Herman Melville. http://www. yahoo. com.

Increasing the Age to 25 When Purchasing Alcohol

In today’s society, alcohol consumption has been taken on as a norm. It can be seen in every arena of life from been seen through the media or through our own personal eyes. When consumed in moderation, alcohol consumption can have some positive effects on individuals. One can get livelier, easier and relaxed. One can also talk more easily and feel less tired. According to some researchers, moderate alcohol use protects against cardiovascular diseases (Carlson, 2009). Socially, some people claim that it also has positive effects. It provides a lot of employment in the production, catering and retail of products and services in which alcohol plays a part. Also, people claim that alcoholic beverages help people socialize. However, if consumed when young, alcohol consumption can have a negative effect. Increasing the age limit on alcohol purchasing to 25 can decrease the consumption rate, misuse rate, and addiction rate among individuals. First, increasing the age limit on alcohol purchasing to 25 can decrease the overall consumption rate. By increasing the drinking age to 25, it can reduce consumption amongst young people because it will be harder to buy alcohol. According to U. S. Department of Health and Human Services for the Centers for Disease Control survey, approximately 52% of Americans over the age of 18 are regular drinkers (Sondik, 2010). The percentage of alcohol consumption can decrease with the increase of the age limit. Secondly, increasing the age limit on alcohol purchasing to 25 can decrease the overall misuse rate of alcohol among the younger crowd. By increasing the drinking age to 25, the group of impaired driver accidents and deaths may decrease. According to the U. S. Drunk Driving Car Accident Statistics, approximately 34% of individuals between the age of 21 and 24 did from vehicle accidents each year (NHTSA, 1997). The percentage of death from motor vehicle accidents and alcohol can decrease with the increase of the age limit. Thirdly, increasing the age limit on alcohol purchasing to 25 will decrease the percentage of individuals that become addicted to alcohol at a young age. The younger a person begins using alcohol, the greater the chance of developing alcohol dependence or abuse some time in their life. Of those who begin drinking at age-18, 16. 6% subsequently are classified with alcohol dependence and 7. 8% with alcohol abuse. If a person waits until age-25 before taking his or her first drink, these risks can decrease by over 60% (Grant, 1997). The percentage of individuals that become addicted to alcohol can decrease with the increase of the age limit. In conclusion, by increasing the age limit on alcohol purchasing to 25 can decrease the consumption rate, misuse rate, and addiction rate among individuals. The overall rates decreasing will benefit every individual in every age group. This can also allow individuals to experience the positive effects of alcohol consumption by being livelier, easier and more relaxed. Work Cited Carlson, Neil H. â€Å"Physiology of Behavior†. Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated: New York, New York. 1 Jan 2009. Grant, B. F. & Dawson, D. A. â€Å"Age of Onset of Alcohol Use and Its Association with DSM-IV Alcohol Abuse and Dependence: Results from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Study,† Journal of Substance Abuse, 9:103-110, 1997. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), â€Å"Traffic Safety Facts 1996: Alcohol,† 1997. http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/alcohol/SocialNorms_Strategy/images/SocialNorms .pdf Sondik, Edward J. â€Å"Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey†. Series 10: Data From the National Health Interview Survey No. 249. August 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/sr10_249.pdf

How Hamlets Behavior in Theater Differed essays

How Hamlet's Behavior in Theater Differed essays William Shakespeares theater differed from ours in several respects, but most notably in the fact that womens parts were played by males, often younger boys. Shakespeare at times uses this fact to make additional double entendres in his comedies, while the convention that men play women has to be accepted and accommodated in a different way in the tragedies. In Hamlet, the two important female parts are Gertrude, Hamlets mother, and Ophelia, the girl everyone assumes is his love interest, though he treats her as if she were not much of the time. The way Laurence Olivier treated these two characters in his 1949 film of Hamlet is in keeping with much critical opinion on the play and the characters. Olivier creates an image of Denmark as a forbidding place pounded by nature and in turmoil because of the death of a king. This is not to say that this film is merely conventional in its approach, for instead, Olivier's version is highly inventive and daring. It makes use of both stage and film conventions at one and the same time. The fabricated sets make the film an interior experience like the set on a stage, and what exteriors there are have been shot on a soundstage where every element is controlled. This means the image that is presented is the image desired, with no necessary bow to reality. The sky is always dark and foreboding. Day or night is dark and gloomy. Hamlet wanders from one stage set to another, taking the audience with him as the camera moves through short hallways that seem painted rather than real. Olivier plays Hamlet himself as a volatile figure, internalized at one moment, leaping from a parapet onto a lower stage in another. Olivier treats the soliloquies as the internalized mental processes of the character they seem to be by having them spoken in voice-over while Hamlet's face and body language mirror his thoughts. Olivier uses the conventions of filmmaking in the way he ...

Compare the Muslim Hajj with the Jewish Yom Kippur Essays - Hajj

Compare the Muslim Hajj with the Jewish Yom Kippur Essays - Hajj Compare the Muslim Hajj with the Jewish Yom Kippur September 08, 2014 Andre Key Module #4 Writing Assignment 3 Question: "Compare the Muslim Hajj with the Jewish Yom Kippur." Once a year, Muslims of every ethnic group, colour, social status, and culture gather together in Mecca and stand before the Kaaba praising Allah together. It is a ritual that is designed to promote the bonds of Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood by showing that everyone is equal in the eyes of Allah. The Hajj makes Muslims feel real importance of life here on earth, and the afterlife, by stripping away all markers of social status, wealth, and pride. In the Hajj all are truly equal. The Hajjis or pilgrims wear simple white clothes called Ihram. During the Hajj the Pilgrims perform acts of worship and they renew their sense of purpose in the world. Mecca is a place that is holy to all Muslims. It is so holy that no non-Muslim is allowed to enter. For Muslims, the Hajj is the fifth and final pillar of Islam. It occurs in the month of Dhul Hijjah which is the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is the journey that every sane adult Muslim must undertake at least once in their lives if they can afford it and are physically able. gathered travel from Makkah to Mina, a small village east of the city. There they spend the day and night in enormous tent cities, praying, reading the Quran, and resting for the next day. On the second day of the pilgrimage, the pilgrims leave Mina just after dawn to travel to the Plain of Arafat for the culminating experience of the Hajj. On what is known as the "Day of Arafat, the pilgrims spend the entire day standing (or sitting) near the Mount of Mercy, asking Allah for forgiveness and making supplications. Muslims around the world who are not at the pilgrimage join them in spirit by fasting for the day. After sunset on the Day of Arafat, the pilgrims leave and travel to a nearby open plain called Muzdalifah, roughly halfway between Arafat and Mina. There they spend the night praying, and collecting small stone pebbles to be used the following day. On the third day, the pilgrims move before sunrise, this time back to Mina. Here they throw their stone pebbles at pillars that represent the temptations of Satan. When throwing the stones, the pilgrims recall the story of Satans attempt to dissuade Prophet Abraham from following Gods command to sacrifice his son. The stones represent Abrahams rejection of Satan and the firmness of his faith.After casting the pebbles, most pilgrims slaughter an animal (often a sheep or a goat) and give away the meat to the poor. This is a symbolic act that shows their willingness to part with something that is precious to them, just as the Prophet Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son at Gods command. Throughout the world, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, on this day. This is the second of the two major holidays in Islam each year. The pilgrims then return to Makkah and perform seven tawaf, turns around the Kaaba, the house of worship built by Prophet Abraham and his son. In other rites, the pilgrims pray near a place On the first official day of the pilgrimage, the millions of pilgrims that have now called The Station of Abraham, which is reportedly where Abraham stood while constructing the Kaaba. The pilgrims also walk seven times between two small hills near the Kaaba (and enclosed in the Grand Mosques complex). This is done in remembrance of the plight of Abrahams wife Hajar, who desperately searched in the area for water for herself and her son, before a spring welled up in the desert for her. The pilgrims also drink from this ancient spring, known as Zamzam, which continues to flow today. In the days and weeks after Hajj, many Muslims take advantage of their travel time by visiting the city of Madinah, 270 miles north of Makkah. The people of Madinah provided refuge to the early Muslim community, when they were being persecuted by the powerful Makkan tribes. Madinah became a center for the